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Gale Darkmane
"We are eternal. We are unyielding." '' - Highlord Darion Mograine '''Gale Darkmane' is a menacing loyalist of the Ebon Blade. He has stood by the Knights of Acherus through every one of their heroic campaigns and atrocities. Formerly a paladin of the Silver Hand, and a member of the Argent Dawn, Gale has a particular reverence for those who follow the teachings of the Light. But his loyalties first and foremost are with the brothers and sisters who suffered alongside him through their horrible journey in undeath. Physical Description Gale was once the spitting image of his father, Gabriel Darkmane. Blonde-haired, dark eyed, tall and proud. He was usually well-groomed, hair always trimmed short, and a neat beard that he did not allow to grow out of control. His gaze was warm and comforting, Gale was always kind and courteous to everyone that he knew. His disposition was hopeful, his pursuits were called heroic and he had the charm to match it. What remained in undeath was... frightening, to say the least. Now, Gale is always fully clad in saronite armor issued to him by the Knights of the Ebon Blade. It emits a faint cursed magic. If one were to get close enough, they might still feel the distant influence of the Great Old Ones. The actual appearance of the armor is designed to be horrific, making the wearer unrecognizable by anyone. The saronite is encrusted with a thin layer of ice, and a deep blue necrotic glow empowers the armor with unholy magic. The whispered presence of the Old Gods from the saronite, combined with the frightening look of the armor almost confirms that you wouldn't want to stand near this death knight for longer than you have to. Personality Gale was once a very warm and caring person. He was a natural leader: compassionate, brave, dependable, honest, and had a strong sense of justice. But in undeath... all of these honorable traits were warped for the worse. What took the place of these admirable characteristics were: apathy, recklessness, impatience, and obsession with retribution. Despite this, he seems to have embraced his undeath and the power it has given him. And he still fights for Azeroth. At any cost. History The First War Gale was born two years after the opening of the Dark Portal. His parents were Gabriel Darkmane and Gwenn Albrecht. Gabriel was a traveling warrior from Lordaeron, who’d made his way all the way south to see the Kingdom of Stormwind. Gwenn was a bright and talented priestess who lived in Northshire all of her life. When the two met, they instantly fell in love. Their romance was short lived, however. The Horde would go on to destroy Stormwind City, and force the two to flee, with their newborn son. The Second War On their way to Lordaeron, Gabriel would learn more and more about the ways of the Light from Gwenn, who was a devout follower of the Northshire Clerics. When they arrived in Lordaeron, the Knights of the Silver Hand would form shortly after. Gabriel, after learning so much from Gwenn, decided to become a paladin of the Silver Hand. Gwenn cared for their son as Gabriel learned the ways of the Light, but when the Alliance made the call to arms, they both answered. It led to an argument between the two, Gwenn would not sit idly by as their very way of life was threatened by the Orcish Horde, and Gabriel could not bear to see her in come into harm’s way. However, after many heated arguments, Gabriel would realize he was unable to stop Gwenn from doing what she needed to. They both gave a heartfelt goodbye to their son, knowing they would not see him for years to come. Unfortunately for Gwenn, it would be the last time she ever saw her son. Gwenn and Gabriel fought side by side during the Second War, never leaving the other’s side for any reason. Their love for each other seemed to be unshakeable, unwavering. Some of their allies joked that it was their love for each other that kept them alive during the intense battles. That would prove to be untrue, however, during the Battle of Hillsbrad Foothills. The Death Knights of the Horde were too much for the forces of the Alliance to handle. Gabriel and Gwenn had dealt with orcish juggernauts before, but never with the might of the death knights. They seemed to be handling themselves well enough until they came across one of the said death knights. Gabriel’s attacks were unable to phase the monster, and Gwenn’s holy magic seemed to have little to no effect. Gabriel protected his love for as long as he could, coming down to physical blows with the abomination. Regrettably, Gabriel was struck down, but not killed. He had to watch as the death knight overpowered Gwenn, and snapped her like a twig. The death knight purposely left Gabriel alive to witness, and rode off as the Alliance were swiftly defeated in the battle. Gwenn died in Gabriel’s arms, unable to move or speak. She could only feel pain as the last thing she would see was a tearful Gabriel, her love. Gabriel stood up and found his way to a group of Alliance survivors, and continued to fight in the war, hoping that he would die. He never got his wish. And he returned home to his son, now grown from an infant to a child, bearing a striking resemblance to Gabriel himself. The Third War Gale never truly knew his mother, and never knew what she looked like. He would only be able to hear the tales about her from his father. Gabriel told his son that she was practically touched by the Light, a true miracle amidst a horrible world. The teenager would grow up under his father’s harsh teachings, and would eventually become a paladin of the Silver Hand. Though his father was always hard on him, Gale was still caring, compassionate, honest, and dependable. He never once held animosity toward his father. When the time came, Gale would answer the call to arms in the Third War. His father did not challenge him on this, seeing the same look in Gale’s eyes that he saw in Gwenn’s. Joining the Argent Dawn Gale would survive the Third War, and become a skilled paladin in his own right. When the Grand Alliance was formed, he kept his distance, much to the dismay of Gabriel, who was a staunch Alliance loyalist. Gale opted instead to join the Argent Dawn, he did not see Thrall’s Horde as a threat to Azeroth. He was more than willing to work alongside the Forsaken and the rest of the Horde races that would also join the Argent Dawn. For a long time, Gale stood alongside the Argent Dawn on every campaign they would embark upon. Much like his father in his early days, Gale’s faith in the Light was unbreakable, and he was truly an honorable paladin; forgiving and just, and cast no judgement upon those that wished to redeem themselves. Wrath of the Lich King When the sinister Scourge returned to invade the rest of Azeroth, Gale was among the many to stand up and defend against the undead on the front lines. His father would travel to the Plaguelands, wanting to stand beside his son in the face of the new threat. The two hadn’t seen each other in years, and Gabriel was truly proud of the man his son had become. Gabriel was also softened in the time that he spent in the Grand Alliance, he was wiser, and more forgiving. During the initial invasion of the Plaguelands, Gale proved himself to be a formidable foe to the Scourge, and Gabriel was absolutely astonished by how his son had grown. He saw Gwenn again, in his son’s ferocity, and his faith in the Light. It truly was Gwenn he was seeing during this time, because just like his mother, Gale would be slain by the Death Knights of Acherus, right before his father’s eyes. The Scourge took notice to Gale’s skill in battle, and stole his body. Gabriel fought harder than he ever could, cutting down Scourge left and right, recklessly and mercilessly to retrieve his son’s body. But he was unsuccessful. A Chosen Knight The next time Gale woke, he would be a Knight of Acherus, and he found himself with no emotions other than rage and bloodlust. When Arthas commanded the Knights of Acherus to destroy the Scarlet Crusade, Gale did so without question, only remembering the pain and suffering that the Scarlets brought unto the world. It wasn’t until the Battle for Light’s Hope that Gale would start to question his loyalty to The Lich King. Battle for Light's Hope Alongside the Death Knights of Acherus, Gale would ride for Light’s Hope. It was here that he would be reunited with his father. During the battle, Gale slaughtered dozens of his former brothers and sisters, and his father was there to witness it. Gabriel finally broke upon seeing what his son had become, a shadow of his former self, a tool for The Lich King. Gabriel could not bear to raise his sword against his son, but Gale did not share the sentiment. Gale thrust his runeblade into his father’s heart, and killed the already broken man. It was here that Gale would start to feel more than rage and bloodlust. He felt a heavy burden on his mind, sadness… Lament. When the forces of the Scourge were bested at Light’s Hope, and Arthas revealed his treachery, Gale rallied behind Highlord Mograine and the Knights of the Ebon Blade. He vowed vengeance against Arthas for destroying his life and family. After Light's Hope After rampaging through the Ebon Hold, destroying all that was left of the Scourge, he visited Light’s Hope again. Gale personally buried his father, disgusted at himself for what he had done. He ran away into the Plaguelands, horrified by his actions, and frustrated by his lack of emotion. Gale stood in the blighted lands, and contemplated taking his own life with the same blade that took his father’s. But he realized it would do him no good, and that his father would not have wanted him to give up so easily. Instead, he named the blade after the emotion he felt when he murdered his father: Lament. Gale then returned to Acherus to finish what the Argent Crusade and the Ebon Blade started. Assault on Icecrown Citadel Gale fought on the ramparts of Icecrown Citadel when the time came to take vengeance on Arthas and the Scourge. Alongside his Argent brothers, he fought as a captain of the Ashen Verdict. It was during this battle that he met his close allies in the Horde: Kal'thar and Lycidas Black. Although Gale had never been particularly judgmental of the Forsaken, he- like many of the forces of Azeroth- became wary of them after the Wrathgate. However, Lycidas changed his mind about them, and proved to Gale that there were Forsaken that were truly deserving of their place on Azeroth. His friendship with Kal'thar was regrettably short lived. Kal would fight hard and honorably in the name of the Horde, and for Azeroth, but the might of the Scourge would prove to be too much for the Orcish shaman. Kal'thar fell just moments before The Lich King was defeated, and he died in the arms of his brothers and sisters in the Kor'kron, as Gale watched on solemnly. Cataclysm Gale remained in the Ebon Hold until the Worldbreaker awoke and scarred the world. While many members of the Ebon Blade decided to keep an eye on the Banshee Queen, Gale chose to defend Mount Hyjal. Although he had no place in that blossoming land, he could not stand idly by as his former Kaldorei brethren were under siege. It was during the Battle for Mount Hyjal that Gale met two of the fiercest druids that he has ever known. The first was a Kaldorei Druid of the Claw, Lorathyn Thornclaw. Loraythn was initially disapproving of Gale's presence in Hyjal, but Gale quickly proved that beyond his unholy presence, his intentions were pure and just. The other was a mysterious tauren by the name of Tartaris Shaderunner; The Blade of Mu'sha. The three of them fought together to cleanse the area of corruption and infestation, and while the two druids gained a newfound respect for Gale- they did not seem to agree with each other. Tartaris was a firm believer that the Kaldorei druidic ways were far inferior to that of the Shu'halo. Gale did not involve himself in these matters, and when Hyjal was successfully defended, promptly departed. The Third Invasion of the Burning Legion When the Burning Legion returned to Azeroth, Gale was among the many that stood guard in the initial assaults. He followed the Knights of the Ebon Blade throughout their entire campaign, never once cursing their actions. It was during this time that he met a friend within Acherus, the sin'dorei death knight Arianthas Silverdawn. Though the two would not see eye to eye on the drastic actions taken by the Ebon Blade, they considered each other brothers... whatever that meant for death knights. They slaughtered their way through the halls of the Scarlet Monastery, and fought back to back on the Broken Shore. Gale would also meet a former spy for Grand Magistrix Elisande; Tiana Stellanis. They also met on the Broken Shore. Gale was initially critical of her allegiances, and did not trust her. Many times over, Stellanis would prove she was trustworthy, capable of handling herself, and a fierce ally to have. As fate would have it, the mighty Arianthas Silverdawn and the illustrious Tiana Stellanis were part of the same organization outside of the Ebon Blade and the Armies of Legionfall. Gale would not join them, however, electing to stay with the Ebon Blade. Lament Lament is the runeblade that Gale used to murder his father. He once contemplated taking his own life with it, but has since embraced his unholy nature, as well as the power of his blade. What makes Lament so powerful is not the material it is made from, but rather the magic that it is enchanted with. Unlike most weapons, Lament is heavily infused with shadow and unholy magic. Even death knights and those that have experience with this type of magic can notice the potency of the blade. The edges of the blade are frosted, dented and worn. Clearly Gale doesn't care to polish the blade. The blood of demons, Scarlet Crusaders, and Scourge still encrust the blade. The runes along the sword glow the same necrotic blue as his armor, and traces of shadow magic radiate off the blade in idle streaks of dark violet. The blade still carries the burden of Gale's sins. However, he has since been able to accept and embrace them. Those who haven't been able to accept or take responsibility for the evil they have done will find it nigh impossible to wield the blade. If they were to touch it, a horrible sense of dread and regret would wash over them, rendering them completely useless in combat, much less anything else. Category:Alliance Death Knight Category:Human